About Us Quarterly Magazine Foreword: Why?
Foreword: Why? Print E-mail
Monday, 19 April 2010 22:00
By Rick Postma

In the wake of the disaster in Haiti and in addition to the outpouring of support for the disaster there, there are many, especially in the media, who are raising questions about God: “Has God abandoned Haiti?”, as well as variations on the regular question “How can there be a good God when evil exists?” The broader Christian community offers an equally broad set of answers. Many of them suggest that disasters are beyond God’s control. What often emerges is a God doing His best but who is just as surprised by disasters as we are.

The question of evil is a difficult one. What we do know, however, is that any answer that undermines God’s character as clearly portrayed in God’s Word, cannot be true. God is sovereign and almighty. For God to be surprised by a catastrophic event would be a contradiction of who He is.

The questions raised above imply an underlying accusation – God isn’t being fair. But isn’t the proper question, “If God were to be fair, who of us could survive His judgement?” It is because the Lord is compassionate that we aren’t consumed (Lamentations 3:22). Are the people of Haiti any worse than we are? No. In fact it could be argued that as nations of the western world we deserve God’s judgement far more. Surely then, we must stand back in awe at a merciful God and as we see and hear about the suffering of the Haitians, we can only respond, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

Word & Deed Ministries, together with you, has the privilege of being instruments in the hands of a merciful God as we strive to bring help to the needy in the developing world. In this issue, Arlene Jonkman of Ecuador Missions shares with us the blessings the Lord is bringing to the Sunday School Teacher Curriculum project and John Otten tells us about his recent trip to Nicaragua. Some light is shed on Haiti by taking a brief look at her troubled history since the disaster recovery projects for that suffering country are still in the planning phases as this magazine goes to print. In all this, as Pastor Bylsma explains in the meditation, the urgency of the Gospel is paramount.

May our sovereign and compassionate God have mercy on the people of Haiti, and on us. Great is His faithfulness.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.
 
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